


The Summer of Our Lives

by gxrrenlxkes



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: #strangerthings #byler #mileven #season3, F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2020-02-15 18:05:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18674761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gxrrenlxkes/pseuds/gxrrenlxkes
Summary: Theory based on season 3





	1. Home Sweet Home

Dustin plops out of the camp bus, feeling the nice summer breeze hitting hitting his face. "home sweet Hawkins," he said under his breath.

He then walked towards the door. He closed the door and looked at the clock hanging on the wall, it read 2:54pm. 'Mom won't be home until 6,' he thought.

He walked down the hallway and into his room. He threw his bags filled with clothes and other things onto his bed and turned on his radio, the song "home sweet home began to play.

He listened to the lyrics. _You know I'm a dreamer, but my heart's of gold, I had to run away high, so I wouldn't come home low, just when things went right, it doesn't mean they were always wrong, just take this song and you'll never feel, left all alone._

A distant noise arouse. He turned around just in time to see his action figures and toys come to life. They were heading out his bedroom door and into the hallway.

'What the hell?' he thought. 'here we go again.' He took a deep breathe and grabbed the _Farrah Fawcett Spray_ from his nightstand and decided to follow the toys and action figures out of his bedroom door, into the hallway.

His heart was pounding, almost in sync with every step he took. He approached the end of the hall when all of a sudden the action figures had stopped in the middle of the living room.

He slowly walked over to one of them and picked it up, 'that's weird,' he thought. He was deep in thought, trying to figure out what was going on, when all of a sudden, he hears a foot step behind him.

He panicked and whipped around, letting out a yell and sprayed the person in front of him with the spray in his hands.

He heard a high-pitched scream as he was spraying the person in front of him, 'it almost sounds like-.' He opened his eyes and realized he was spraying Lucas.

He let go of the tab and looked around. He saw the others huddled behind Lucas, trying to keep the spray from getting on them.

He looked at Lucas who was rubbing his eyes while holding a sign that read, "Welcome Home Dustin."

"I thought you were-" Dustin started.

"a demogorgon?" Lucas interrupted.

"yeah, a demogorgon," he stared off into space remembering what had happened the last winter.

He then trailed into a thought of Dart. Yeah, Dart had eaten his cat but Dart was like the pet he never had.

"Earth to Dustin! Are you gonna apologize or?" Lucas asked as Dustin snapped back to reality.

"Yeah, I'm sorry for spraying you in the face with my hairspray." Lucas then walked past Dustin and into the kitchen. Dustin looked at the toy in his hand and back at El. "You did that?" She nodded her head. "Cool!" Dustin smiled.

Lucas walked out of the kitchen with a rag in his hand. "You know what wasn't cool? Spraying me in the face with that stupid hairspray! I blame Steve."

"Here," Max grabs Lucas' shoulders and turned him around and guided him into the kitchen, while saying, "you guys go talk and I'll help Lucas get the spray out of his eyes."

Everyone looked at each other and then started towards Dustins' room. Everyone gathered in Dustins' room except for Lucas and Max.

"Welcome back Dustin!" They all said in unity.

Dustin smiled, "So now that I'm back, what do you guys want to do first? We could go swimming at the new community pool?" Everyone looked disappointed. "What?"

"We would but-" Mike started to say.

"But my idiot brother is a lifeguard there," Max finishes as her and Lucas enter the room.

"Oh," Dustin looked a bit disappointed.

Will started to notice, "Well I mean there's a mall that just opened in Hawkins, I-I think it's called Starcourt. We should check it out! Plus, I heard Steve works there."

Dustin smiled, "I guess we can go but let's talk about how your guys' summers have been."

"Well I asked Mike to play D & D but he wouldn't and I don't know why," Will looked upset.

"That's because it's the summer before highschool! We're not kids anymore. I mean, what did you think? We were just going to sit in my basement all day?” Mike looked frustrated. There was an awkward silence.

"Moving on. My summer was pretty great so far, but now that the party is all here it will be way better," Max said and smiled.

"I agree with Max, I'm glad that you're back Dustin, even though you sprayed me," Lucas said and laughed.

Dustin looked at El, "How was your summer so far?"

"Pretty good. Boring, but good," El said.

Dustin smiled, "Okay, who's ready to go to the mall?!" Everyone got up off the floor. They walked out the door and into the hallway. Will and Dustin stayed behind.

"If there's anything you need or if you ever need anyone to talk to I'm here for you," Dustin said.

Will smiled, "Thanks Dustin." They both walked out of his room together.

The party walked out the front door of Dustins house. The sun beamed down on the ground and onto their faces.

"It's bright," El said.

Mike took El's hand, "I'm right here."

Will looked at Mike's and El's hands intertwined. 'Why does he always have to do this right in front of me?' His expression was stone cold as they all walked to the mall.

"So while we are walking, do you guys want to play a game?" Max asked.

"Sure," they all said together.

"How about truth or dare?" Dustin asked.

"What's truth or Dare?" El asked Mike.

"It's a game where you ask someone truth or dare and if they say truth you ask them a question and they have to tell the truth because friends don't lie," El smiled and Will rolled his eyes, "and if they say dare, you tell them what to do and they have to do it."

"I'll go first then," Will said feeling determined. They all continued to walk. "Truth or dare Mike?" Will asked.

"Truth, because I don't trust you with dares," Mike said.

"Rude but, if you had to choose a guy to date in our party, who would it be and why?"

"Well it would be you, and just because."

"There's no reason?" Will asked confused.

"No, just because," Mike said. There was awkward silence that seemed as if it lasted for an eternity.

"Moving on...Mikes turn," Max said.

"Um, truth or dare, El?" Mike asked.

"Dare," El said with a smirk.

"Kiss me," Mike said.

"Well that's an easy dare," El said as she closed the gap between her and Mike. It was a short kiss but as soon as it was over, Mike looked right at Will.

Will felt his face getting heated from jealousy and anger. "I-I should go," Will said quietly as he started walking the opposite direction.

"Wait!" Lucas said.

"I forgot mom said she wanted to talk to me," Will said as he continued to walk away from them.

"Okay El, your turn," Max said.

"Ummmmm," El looked around until her eyes stopped on Dustin, "truth or dare?"

"Me? Truth," Dustin said.

"Okay, so who's your bestfriend?" El asked.

"Steve, sorry Lucas," Dustin said.

"Awh! Come on man. Wait- that explains why you sprayed me in the face earlier," Lucas concluded.

"Guys, I think we are here!" Mike said. He was staring at a building that was oddly shaped but very tall.

Dustins stomach started to grumble. "I'm hungry so lets go to the food court," Dustin said.

"El and I will check out the clothing stores," Max said.

"Okay we meet right back here in an hour," Lucas said. The guys walked in first.

"You ready for this?" Max said.

"Lets go!" El said. They walked through the glass doors and their expressions changed. They were shocked from the beauty of the mall. So many people, so many stores.

Once they both snapped back to reality, El turned to Max, "Where do you want to go first?"


	2. The Mall Rats

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: this chapter may be a little short!

The guys ran to the food court as fast as they could, forgetting about the stores behind them.

They stopped once they reached the middle of the mall.

"I'm kind of just hungry for ice cream," Dustin said.

"Honestly, me too," Mike said.

"Why not," Lucas shrugged his shoulders. Lucas looked around and saw a sign that read " _Scoops Ahoy_."

He then saw a large ice cream poster right next to it. "I think I found an ice cream place," Lucas says and points in the direction he was just looking toward.

The guys walk over to _Scoops Ahoy_. Once they reached the counter, they started to look at the flavors.

'There's peanut butter, strawberry, vanilla...CHOCOLATE!' Dustin thought.

The cashier had his back towards them. As soon as he was done talking he slowly turned around, "hi how may I-" he noticed who was standing in front of him, "Dustin!!"

Steve yelled as he walked around the counter and gave Dustin a bro hug. The others waved.

"Long time no see," Steve says.

Dustin studies Steve's outfit, "so you work here?"

"Yeah, there's no way I was going to do lifeguarding with Billy around."

Lucas ignored the conversation between Steve and Dustin and looked around. He noticed all the doors had, what looked like, military recruits. "Is it me or do you guys find it weird that the mall has high-profile security?" Lucas asked as he looked around, "not only that but it seems weird that Hawkins got a mall all of a sudden. Since when could Hawkins afford a huge mall like this?"

Steve looked at Lucas concerned, "are you okay?" Steve wanted to forget what had happened last year but Lucas bringing up something related to it did not help.

"I don't think this is over," Lucas said. He hated to admit it but maybe _Starcourt_ was just another Hawkins lab.

"Don't talk like that Lucas!" Mike snapped. Tears began to flow down his cheeks. He remembered the last encounter they had with Hawkins lab. He couldn't lose El again, not ever.

"Mike I-" Lucas began to say. He wanted to say sorry but he didn't because his gut told him he was right.

"Forget it, maybe this wasn't such a good idea," Mike said as he walked toward the exit.

More tears began to fall down his cheeks, knowing he may never talk to Lucas again. Or maybe he would, who knows.

"I think I should leave, Dustin are you coming with?" Lucas asked.

"No, but what about ice cream?" Dustin asked.

"We can always get some another day," Lucas said.

"Okay, I think I'll catch up with Steve then," Dustin said.

Lucas turned around and walked out the door. 'I guess I'll figure out what's going on by myself.'

"So when did the mall first open?" Dustin asked, trying to change the subject.

"Just a couple days ago, actually, can you believe that they asked me to work at _Scoops Ahoy_? I didn't even fill out an application or anything," Steve said, proudly.

'Jobs don't just work like that,' Dustin thought, 'maybe he's lying.' "Wait, they asked you? Isn't that a little weird?" Dustin asked, 'this is just a coincidence.'

"Well I mean yeah but-" Steve said.

Dustin cut him off, "did they ask Nancy or Jonathan to work at the mall?" Dustin whispered. 'Don't sound too obvious.'

"There's no need to whisper, but yeah, they asked Jonathan to work at the electronics store and Nancy to work in the book store but they refused to."

'I'm glad they did,' Dustin thought, 'Maybe Lucas is right, I mean- wait a second.'

Dustin is looking across the mall and spots a man with white hair. 'That looks a lot like...' He squints his eyes. "Brenner," he said under his breath.

The next thing Dustin knew, Brenner disappeared into the crowd. 'That couldn't have been him, could it? Well one thing is for sure...something is not right.'

Flashbacks flooded Dustin's memory. The last time Dustin saw him he could've sworn the demogorgon got to him, but maybe not.

'Shit,' Dustin thought.

"Earth to Dustin," Steve said as he waved his hand in front of Dustin's face. "I spaced out again, didn't I?" He asked.

"Yeah you did, why don't we go sit down and have some ice cream then we will talk."

"I like the sound of that!" Dustin exclaimed and smiled. He walked up to the counter with Steve.

"What would you like?" The cashier asked. She had light brown hair and green eyes. Her nametag read "Robin."

"I just want a chocolate ice cream cone," Dustin said.

"We need a chocolate ice cream cone!" Robin yells to the other workers in the back. She turns back around, "anything else?"

"No," Steve says and hands her five dollars, "keep the change."

"So what are you doing out here? Aren't you supposed to be working?"

"Yeah but-"

"It's fine no need to explain," Robin laughed. She reached her hand out, "I'm Robin, and you are?"

"Dustin," he says as he grabs her hand and shakes it.

"Nice to meet you Dustin," Robin said. She then turned around and walked into the back.

As soon as she had turned away from Steve and Dustin, they started making weird growling noises.

Robin walked back to the counter with a chocolate ice cream cone in her hand. She almost laughed when she saw what Steve and Dustin were doing but instead she held it in and kept quiet.

Finally, she cleared her throat and they both looked at her. She handed Dustin the ice cream cone. "So...how many kids are you friends with?" She asked with a smirk.

Steve made an expression and put his hand out as if she had made a point. She laughed. "You two up for the the pool later?" Robin asked.

Steve looked at Dustin and Dustin nodded. "Yeah just call my house phone when you get off work."

Steve waved and so did Dustin. They walked out of the food court and then Steve stopped him.

"Did you come here with anyone else?" Steve asked.

"Well Max and El, but I'm sure they'll be fine," Dustin said. 'El has powers, there's nothing to worry about.'

"oh okay, so then, shall we go over to my house?"

"Yeah!" Dustin exclaimed. They continued walking and walked out if the mall, Dustin still eating his ice cream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to finish this fic this time. Be sure to share to your friends <3


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